Tag Archives: perri

Perri Shakes-Drayton wins gold in 400 metres at the European Indoor Championships

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Shakes-Drayton leads GB one-two as she wins 400m gold ahead of team-mate Child

By
Laura Williamson

PUBLISHED:

10:50 GMT, 3 March 2013

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UPDATED:

11:04 GMT, 3 March 2013

Perri Shakes-Drayton won 400-metre European indoor gold in Gothenburg this morning with a scintillating personal best of 50.85 seconds – the fastest time in the world this year.

The 400m hurdles specialist, 24, led at the bell and took gold in emphatic fashion, with fellow Brit and hurdler Eilidh Child setting a new Scottish record of 51.45 secs to win silver. Shana Cox, 28, finished sixth in 53.15 seconds.

Shakes-Drayton said: 'I’m really
happy with that. Everyone had expectations of me getting gold and in my
heart of hearts I wanted gold. To be able to deliver and run a world
lead – I didn’t expect that. I’m going to take that, it gives me
confidence and hopefully I can transfer it over the hurdles.

In a league of her own: Perri Shakes-Drayton celebrates winning the 400m

In a league of her own: Perri Shakes-Drayton celebrates winning the 400m

'I still want to achieve over the
400m hurdles and I haven’t fulfilled my potential so to me I’m still a
400m hurdler and I think that gave me an advantage because I’m used to
running over ten hurdles in a 400m so I’m a lot stronger.'

Child said: 'I’m over the moon, I
knew it would be hard but I was lucky to get a good lane draw after
yesterday’s qualification.

Race to the line: Shakes-Drayton lead fellow Brit Edith Child in the 400m final

Race to the line: Shakes-Drayton lead fellow Brit Edith Child in the 400m final

Crossing the line: Shakes-Drayton wins the 400m final ahead of Eilidh Child in second

Crossing the line: Shakes-Drayton wins the 400m final ahead of Eilidh Child in second

'I knew everybody would be out for me
because I was out in lane six so I thought I would just go out like a
bullet and hopefully get that break.

'Once I saw Perri ahead of me, I just
thought “sit on her shoulder and try and work with her the whole way
round”. I’m delighted that I got a medal.'

London Olympics 2012 Watch BBC video highlights from day ten of the Olympics

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Watch BBC video highlights from day ten of the Olympics

PUBLISHED:

00:58 GMT, 7 August 2012

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UPDATED:

01:33 GMT, 7 August 2012

Great Britain boosted their gold medal tally to 18, courtesy of a first Olympic showjumping victory for 60 years and an incredible performance from Jason Kenny in the individual sprint.

And Beth Tweddle added an Olympic gold medal to her glittering c.v. to complete a sensational haul in gymnastics.

But the euphoria was tempered with Dai Greene missing out on a medal in the men's 400metres hurdles, Holly Bleasdale failed to pole vault and Perri Shakes-Drayton failed to qualify for the women's 400m hurdles final.

Watch highlights of day ten on the video player below…

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London 2012 Olympics: Perri Shakes-Drayton willing to wait for glory

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Shakes-Drayton willing to wait for Olympic glory and concedes London may be too soon for gold

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UPDATED:

17:39 GMT, 11 July 2012

Britain's Perri Shakes-Drayton concedes her best chance of Olympic glory may not come at the stadium she grew up so close to.

Shakes-Drayton sprang to prominence in the European Championships in Barcelona in 2010, winning bronze in the 400 metres hurdles and adding another in the 4x400m relay.

Willing to wait: Perri Shakes-Drayton believes her Olympic success may come later in her career

Willing to wait: Perri Shakes-Drayton believes her Olympic success may come later in her career

That led to high expectations for the 23-year-old from Bow, east London, but she has struggled to build on that success since.

Her time of 54.18 seconds in Barcelona remains her personal best, while her quickest time of 55.25secs this season leaves her 21st in the world and behind British team-mate Eilidh Child.

'A lot of people were saying 'going for gold medal potential' but everyone is going out there trying to get a medal. It's not going to be easy,' Shakes-Drayton said ahead of the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace.

'I've never had in my thoughts that I'm going to get a medal come 2012, maybe four years after is more my time.'

Asked what would satisfy her in London, she added: 'Making it to the final and running a PB. Then I will be over the moon.'

Attempt: Shakes-Drayton will attempt to get a place on the pdium

Attempt: Shakes-Drayton will attempt to get a place on the pdium

Perhaps a better chance of a medal will come in the 4x400m relay, with Shakes-Drayton anchoring the British quartet to a surprise gold at the World Indoors in Istanbul in March.

'We have a very good team,' added Shakes-Drayton, who missed out on selection for the last Olympics despite winning the trials.

Tasha Danvers was chosen instead and won bronze in Beijing.

'I don't know about winning but we are definitely capable of a medal. It's not going to be easy just getting into the quartet.

'Everyone is going to step up their game and no one is just going to give it to you, we all have that fighting spirit.'

Shakes-Drayton held off individual champion Sanya Richards-Ross on the last leg in Istanbul and would love the chance to do so again in London.

'I'm going to run like a dog's chasing me!' she joked.

London 2012 Olympics: Oscar Pistorius finishes fourth in warm-up race

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Olympian Pistorius finishes fourth in first race after selection

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UPDATED:

21:43 GMT, 7 July 2012

Oscar Pistorius finished fourth on Saturday in his first race since being included in the South African team for the Olympics.

The Blade Runner, who will become the first amputee sprinter to compete in an Olympics, clocked 46.28 seconds over 400 metres in the KBC Nacht meeting in Heusden, Belgium.

Selected: Oscar Pistorius will make history at the Games

Selected: Oscar Pistorius will make history at the Games

Home favourite Jonathan Borlee won in 44.91secs.

Pistorius was on Monday selected to run in the 400m and 4x400m relay for South Africa at London 2012.

Fourth: Pistorius was not at the top of his game

Fourth: Pistorius was not at the top of his game

Perri Shakes-Drayton and Shana Cox, who will represent Team GB at the Olympics, won the 400m hurdles and 400m respectively.

London 2012 Olympics: Plastic Brit debate doens"t faze Shana Cox, says team-mate

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Shakes-Drayton defends 'Plastic Brit' Cox and insists Team GB are unfazed by criticism

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UPDATED:

22:31 GMT, 23 March 2012

Perri Shakes-Drayton says teammate Shana Cox was unfazed by the furore over ‘Plastic Brits’ at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul and believes the New York native would deserve a place in Team GB at the Olympics.

The pair combined with Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruogu to win gold for Britain in the 4x400m relay in Turkey earlier this month, but the result was overshadowed somewhat by criticism directed at Cox, who only transferred her allegiance to Britain from the United States after failing to make the grade in her homeland.

Brit Special: Perri Shakes-Drayton, Shana Cox, Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruogu secured gold in the 4x400m relay at the world indoor championships in Turkey

Brit Special: Perri Shakes-Drayton, Shana Cox, Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruogu secured gold in the 4x400m relay at the world indoor championships in Turkey

Yet 23-year-old Shakes-Drayton was emphatic in her support for Cox, who qualifies to run for Britain because both her parents were born here.

‘She didn't let anything bother her and nothing should because we're all the same,’ said Shakes-Drayton, who ran the final leg to secure the gold. ‘We're all Team GB, wearing the British flag. I don't see her as any different really.’

Londoner Shakes-Drayton, whose priority event for the Games is the 400m hurdles, said winning in Istanbul had been a shock.

‘It took me a while to realise we'd come home with a gold medal. It was a surprise for everybody, even ourselves. We didn't think it would be gold, we just wanted a medal.

Priority: Shakes-Drayton is a hurdler by trade

Priority: Shakes-Drayton is a hurdler by trade

‘To get gold was really exciting, the expressions on our faces when you see us in the papers, we were like “Woah!” It was nice.

‘Obviously 400 hurdles is the main thing I'm focussing on but it would nice to be selected as part of the 4×400 relay as well.’

Shakes-Drayton, who has grown up in east London and trains at the Mile End athletics arena in Tower Hamlets, just a couple of miles from the Olympic Stadium, gave a positive verdict on the Team GB kit, which was unveiled on Thursday by designer Stella McCartney.

‘It's groovy,’ she said. ‘That's the thing I've always been looking forward to, seeing the kit and hopefully getting the kit. I've got to say in terms of athletics I think it's the best kit by far.’

Shakes-Drayton said she will wear the rather minimal crop-top uniform, modelled by Jessica Ennis at the launch, when she takes to the track and believes the belt on the presentation tracksuit will prove visually striking.

‘That's a nice little difference, it's got a bow, you've got to wrap it round. It's different and it needs to be, we'll stand out and that's the key thing. We want to stand out.’

Her next step on the road to London 2012 is to head to LA for some training and a few smaller competitions. Shakes-Drayton does get UK Sport funding but such globe-hopping preparations have been helped by the additional money supplied via Team Visa 2012, for which she is an ambassador.

Leading by example: Cox is a native of New York, and thus a Plastic Brit

Leading by example: Cox is a native of New York, and thus a Plastic Brit

She added: ‘Hopefully when I get back and I'm not too jet-lagged I'll be competing in the test event at the Olympic Stadium and I'll do a few Diamond Leagues.’

After that, it’s the Games trials in June and for someone who only lives a few 400m runs away from the Olympic Stadium, Shakes-Drayton wants nothing to do with being ‘so near, yet so far'.

'I've got to make top two.’

Team 2012 Presented by Visa is helping to deliver Team GB and ParalympicsGB – Our Greatest Team for 2012. For details visit: visa.co.uk/goldenspace